There are currently 4,500 people in Illinois waiting for an organ transplant, approximately two-thirds of the list are those waiting for kidneys. The average wait for a kidney transplant can be 5 to 7 years.
The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois is committed to dispelling the myths and misconceptions of organ donation and the procurement process. Through Donate Life Illinois, the NKFI works closely with the members to create awareness regarding the critical organ shortage within our state.
Donate Life Illinois is part of a national campaign through Donate Life America to increase the number of Americans who have taken action to be donors in their states to 100 million. Currently, an estimated 60 million Americans have registered their decision to be donors.
In Illinois, a recent statewide poll showed that nearly 90% of Illinois adults say registering to be an organ/tissue donor is the right thing to do. Yet 40% say that have not registered. In addition, of adults who identify themselves as registered donors, nearly half are unaware of a new Illinois donor registry established a year ago - even more unaware of the need to re-register. As a result of this, Donate Life Illinois has launched an 18-month campaign to register 3.5 million people in the state's new donor registry managed by the office of the Illinois Secretary of State. Current information about the campaign can be found at www.IAmAreYou.org or www.donatelifeillinois.org or by calling Donate Life Illinois at 888-307-DON8 (3668).
Members of Donate Life Illinois
American Liver Foundation - Illinois Chapter
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
Heartland Lions Eye Bank
Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers
Illinois Eye-Bank
Illinois Secretary of State Organ/Tissue Donor Awareness Program
Mid-America Transplant Services (MTS)
Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation
National Kidney Foundation of Illinois
National Marrow Donor Program
Click here to view more information resources on organ donation
How Do I Become an Organ Donor?
To be an organ donor, the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois encourages everyone who has not done so already to join the new First-Person Consent Organ/Tissue Donor registry through the Illinois Secretary of State's website at www.ilsos.gov/organdonorregister. If you wish to be an organ and tissue donor upon your death, you may provide your individual consent online so that your wishes will be honored. However, the NKFI still encourages you to have a discussion with your family regarding your intentions, particularly if you are under 18 years of age. For more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit www.giftofhope.org.
Corporate Organ Donor Awareness
Increasing Organ & Tissue Donation in the Service/Factory Workplace: A Peer Educator Approach
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration awarded the NKFI and its consortium partners a second grant to develop and implement a peer education program to increase awareness of organ and tissue donation and transplantation amongst employees who work in factory settings. This program entitled "Increasing Organ & Tissue Donation in the Service/Factory Workplace: A Peer Educator Approach " was developed in conjunction with the Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, researchers from The University of Chicago and Humanly Possible, Inc. Until October, 2007, the team will work to increase donation consent rates among employees and their family members utilizing "champions" within factory settings who will be the conduit of the information.
High School Organ Donor Education Program
The easiest day you'll ever teach...and still make a life-changing difference!
Bring this award-winning high school program on organ/tissue donation and transplantation to your classroom. In one class period, you can bring important education to your students about this important health and social issue currently affecting more than 95,000 Americans, including more than 4,600 in Illinois. The free program presented by an organ/tissue donation professional includes student materials, classroom visuals and a video - yours to keep. For more information and to schedule a presentation, please contact Mary Schlereth at 312-321-1500 x246 or via email to mschlereth@nkfi.org.